The present invention relates to a biostable interconnect for an implantable medical device.
Implantable medical devices (IMDs) employ internal electronic circuitry (typically implemented as integrated circuits (ICs)), sensors and other components that are hermetically sealed in a biostable package. The IMD package is designed to be biostable to prevent failure due to attacks from the defense system of the body in which the IMD is implanted. One particular aspect of the package that is designed to avoid failure is the conductive interconnect between a lead of the device and the internal circuitry. In addition, it is desirable for the interconnect design to be small in size to allow for relatively easy implementation in miniature IMDs.
One existing design for an IMD that is known to be biostable is a “titanium can” design, which provides a titanium structure surrounding the internal circuitry of the device. A lead of the device connects to the internal circuitry via a feedthrough pin that extends through the titanium structure and is conductively bonded to the internal circuitry. While this design has been proven to provide excellent biostability, it may be possible to achieve a biostable design that is more compact and potentially less expensive. Such a design is the subject of the present invention.